Nicky Hayen makes huge Burnley call - Charlton Athletic & Derby County must swoop in January | OneFootball

Charlton Athletic and Derby County should consider moves for Burnley outcast Marcus Edwards in the January window

Burnley have selected their 25-man squad for the upcoming Championship season and have left out some surprise names from their roster, as Football League World has named two division rivals that must look to take advantage of the situation in the January window.

Burnley have had a turgid start to life back in the Championship under their new head coach, Nicky Hayen, winning none of their opening six league games, as only Preston North End sit beneath the Clarets in the table at this stage.

The departures of the likes of Jaidon Anthony, Zian Flemming, Loum Tchaouna, Martin Dubravka, Florentino, and Maxime Esteve, each of whom were present figures in their side last year, won't have helped their case, but few would have predicted just how poorly they would begin.

Now, the Clarets have dropped some shocking news, having omitted the likes of Mike Tresor, Bashir Humphreys, and Marcus Edwards from their 25-man squad for the season.

Edwards' exclusion, in particular, has come as a huge shock to supporters not only at Turf Moor but across the division, as other Championship clubs ought to be on alert ahead of the January window.

Why Championship clubs should be looking to sign Marcus Edwards in January

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Edwards, at 27, was once compared by former Tottenham Hotspur and current USMNT boss Mauricio Pochettino to the legendary Lionel Messi whilst the Englishman was trying to break through at Spurs, but now finds himself out of the picture at the foot of the Championship.

Loan spells with Norwich City and Excelsior, before joining Portuguese side Vitoria Guimaraes in 2019 on a permanent deal followed for Edwards after struggling to break through at Spurs, before joining Sporting CP in January 2022.

The Englishman would join Burnley on loan in January 2025, helping the Clarets back to the Premier League, before making the move permanent for around £9.4 million (€11 million), where he has struggled to hit the heights hoped of him.

Edwards ought to be in the prime of his career, and with ample top-flight experience in Portugal and England under his belt, he poses an interesting option for a lot of Championship sides, as FLW takes a look at two clubs that should be on alert to his situation come January.

Charlton Athletic

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Charlton Athletic have had an excellent start to the Championship campaign under Nathan Jones, and rather than looking like relegation candidates, appear to be real play-off contenders.

Winger Tyreece Campbell has been imperative to their good form in the early stages of the season, with Jones switching from a back three to a more conventional back four, utilising wingers, which appears to be to the great benefit of the Jamaican international.

Karlan Grant has more often than not been the other option on the opposite flank, with Millenic Alli and Rob Apter acting as backup, though Jones doesn't appear to be taken on Apter, who spent the second half of last season on loan with Bolton Wanderers.

A late move for former loanee Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, who is best off the right, fell through, as Jones was clearly looking to add some more strength and depth to his wide options at The Valley this summer.

A move for Edwards, whilst it certainly won't be cheap, should be on the cards for Charlton, whose best bet is to try and sanction a loan move for the former Sporting CP winger in January.

Best off the right, Edwards would offer incredible competition in Charlton's wide areas, and is certainly capable of taking their attack to the next level.

A return to the city where he grew up would likely be appealing for Edwards, and if the Addicks can sustain a push for promotion from the Championship this year, don't bet against them pushing the boat out for Edwards in January.

Derby County

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It would be hard to suggest that Derby County haven't become weaker since the end of last season.

Each of Bobby Clark, David Ozoh, and Sammie Szmodics has returned on permanent deals, wiping out a large portion of their summer budget, whilst Ben Brereton Diaz and Jaydon Banel have either gone elsewhere or remained with their parent club, drastically reducing their wide options.

Head coach John Eustace toyed with the idea of switching to a back four formation with wingers in the latter stages of last season, but now has reverted to a back three with wing-backs, largely due to his lack of wing options.

This lack of versatility and potential attacking threat may come back to bite the Rams, as Eustace should already be targeting wide reinforcements in the January window, with Edwards as a potential option.

The failed takeover by Turki Alalshikh has left the club without funds they had assumed they would have at their disposal, limiting their spending power, as a loan move is the only likely route to obtaining Edwards this winter.

The 27-year-old would add some much-needed creativity and excitement to a forward line seriously lacking exactly that at the moment, as Eustace would be remiss not to consider his potential addition.